For Inter Toronto, their new identity comes with new expectations.
In 2025, with a rookie head coach and 14 new players — many of whom had returned home to play in Toronto — the club (then known as York United FC) established a strong foundation. They made the playoffs for a second consecutive season and won a road playoff game for the first time in club history.
As the team's 2026 training camp, presented by WestJet, opened a month ago, they wasted no time in drawing blueprints to quickly build upwards from that base. Standing out in a city like Toronto, of course, requires thinking big.
"We've taken the approach, since day one [of pre-season], we want it to be a title-winning season," said head coach Mauro Eustáquio, taking charge of his second pre-season. "It doesn't matter what title, we want to make sure that we're in that top group. And that mindset has really changed compared to last year. Not that we weren't trying to win last year, but I think this year it's extremely clear."
This ambition is accentuated by a statement off-season where the club made multiple high-profile signings, both from the CPL's history and top leagues across North America.
"We have a lot of players in our locker room today that have won titles, that know what winning is, and that's why I think it's been different," said Eustáquio. "The vibe is different from last year."
Full-back Raúl López, who boasts over 300 matches of Liga MX experience, won a Concacaf Champions Cup with Pachuca. Carlos Guzmán won a SuperCopa MX during his time in Mexico, while attacker Sebastián Gonzáles won a league title in Peru. Former Forge attacker Béni Badibanga, meanwhile, is a 2023 CPL champion, while Ollie Bassett won a CPL Shield with Atlético Ottawa in 2022 and a championship with Pacific in 2021.
"[Last year] we had a young team, we played big, but there were a lot of situations that we didn't know how to deal with them, just more on the emotional and mental side, because a lot of the time, it was the first for many players," said Eustáquio.
"When you bring in guys that have experience, that won titles, it doesn't really matter if they're playing Cavalry away, Forge away, Pacific away, it's just another game that they want to win, and to have that mindset and experience in the locker room I think is massive for the club."
Inter Toronto now appear deeper at just about every position, and Eustáquio says pre-season has been a good mix of fierce competition for the eleven starting spots, and creating togetherness amongst the group. With so many new experienced players, however, questions remain surrounding how the club will integrate the exciting group of young local talent in their squad.
Shola Jimoh, 17 — who earned his first Canadian senior national team call-up in January — goalkeeper Ivan Pavela, and Jesse Costa, in particular, will all be pushing for more minutes this season. While it may seem on the surface more difficult than ever for them to find playing time, Eustáquio says the increased competition is vital for the growth of these players, forcing them to adapt and develop at a faster rate.
Providing opportunity for local talent remains a central tenet in Inter Toronto's mission, and Eustáquio says there will still be plenty of it for these young players this season. As a former professional player himself, including spending the CPL's inaugural season as a midfielder for Cavalry, he has a unique understanding of this period in these players' careers.
"I was a young Canadian talent at one point in my life," said Eustáquio, "and coaches believed in me, gave me opportunity, and that's something I want to continue to do with our local talent."
Early signs are already positive when it comes to the team Inter Toronto are constructing. At the end of a ten-day camp in the Dominican Republic last month, they defeated USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights 1-0 on a goal by central defender Frank Sturing.
But they know this is an important season ahead, as they only get one chance to make a first impression under their new moniker, whether that be in the league or in the TELUS Canadian Championship.
"We want to be a big brand in Canadian soccer, we want to be a big brand in Toronto," said Eustáquio. "I'm not delusional, the club isn't delusional. I think for you to have big projects, for you to have big ambitions, comes with a big responsibility. The need or the demand to have positive seasons, win championships, win titles, and that's something we're not going to shy away from."
Those ambitions officially make their way onto the pitch on April 11 for their home opener at York Lions Stadium against the Halifax Wanderers. It will be a celebration of an ambitious new era for the club, and a chance to set that winning standard from the very start of the season.
